It was great talking to Mr. Buckman, not only because he is from my hometown but also because he definitely had a lot to say.
Murtz Jaffer: You always seemed to have a big reaction after boardrooms. You had the smirk in the second episode when you weren’t fired and the strut when you walked to the cab last night. Why were you always so confident?
Brent Buckman: I have a 110% confidence in myself because I have a good head on my shoulders. Outside of “The Apprentice” environment people love dealing with me and I love dealing with people. I am a people person and I am a very nice guy.
MJ: How does it feel being the first Canadian cast on a major reality show?
BB: It was an honour to be the first Canadian to represent Canada on The Apprentice. I am very proud of my Canadian roots. Canada will always be close to my heart. I lived in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for 25 years. I am glad that so many of my fellow Canadians supported me for my quest to be the next apprentice. I wanted to be the First Canadian Apprentice. I still think I should have been the first Canadian Apprentice. I have a loving mother, father, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins and nephew who still reside in Canada and support me. I married my sweetheart Stephanie in the United States and she is the best wife a guy could ask for, I struck gold when I married her!
MJ: You really seemed to clash with Andrea and last night she said that she was a multimillionaire and you weren’t in her league. Why did you fight with her so much?
BB: Andrea is the type of person who will tell you what is on her mind even if she knows you will not be happy to hear what she has to say. I am the type of person who believes it is important in life to not let people take advantage of you. You have to stand up and defend yourself, if you do not defend yourself who will? There were a few instances where Andrea said things that offended me and I was not going to let her get away with making such comments and I responded accordingly.
MJ: Many people found your antics on the show to be hilarious, but what many people may not know is that you studied drama and how to be a clown. Is that true?
BB: It is true that I went through an enriched theatre program in high school where I studied: clowning, improvisation, robotics, mask, and mine. This was a great experience for me as this program builds ones character. You learn how to act in different situations and this is a valuable skill that I use on a daily basis.
MJ: Do you think you were cast because of your abilities as an attorney or because you would make good TV?
BB: I think I was cast because of my abilities as an attorney. Before I went on The Apprentice I was practicing law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as an Insurance Defense Attorney, and I was conducting Real Estate Closings throughout South Florida. This background comes in handy as being a great apprentice. Since I am a litigator I know how to present persuasive arguments and this is important to seal deals with corporations, and give articulate presentations to executives. My real estate background comes in handy because as everyone knows Mr. Trump is one of the biggest real estate developers in the world, and I would have been an invaluable asset assisting him with future real estate ventures.
MJ: Who do you think was the best candidate. Not necessarily who will win, but were there any people that stood out to you?
BB: I still believe that I am the best candidate to be Mr. Trump’s apprentice. I was wrongfully fired by Mr. Trump. I was fired for team dynamic and not based on my performance as an employee. I have to respectfully agree to disagree with Mr. Trump firing me at that point in time. The only person who stood out is ME, as I have a unique personality and I am willing to go the extra mile to get the job done. That is why I danced around in the bath robe in Times square, although I have to admit it was a lot of fun.
MJ: Have you ever considered applying for other reality shows and why did the Apprentice stand out for you?
BB: I have never thought about applying for any other reality show other than The Apprentice. Mr. Trump is a character and I have a lot of respect for Mr. Trump and the Trump organization and I said to myself it would be nice to have a luxurious lifestyle similar to Mr. Trump. I have watched The Apprentice since the first season and have always been a big fan. In the past 4 seasons, when The Apprentice was on the television the telephone was not answered as I had to concentrate on watching the show. I always felt that I could carry out the tasks better than past contestants so I decided to apply to be on The Apprentice.
MJ: Can you tell me more about the Brent bagel diet?
BB: My diet is called The 4 Bagel Plan which can be viewed at my website at www.brentbuckman.com. I created this diet myself when I was an obese teenager at the age of 17. I wanted to create a diet that was going to work for me. I always enjoyed eating bagels so I thought I would create a diet that revolves around eating bagels. For breakfast I have a bagel with light/low fat margarine and a glass of water (you can add a glass of orange juice and a multivitamin if you want to). For Lunch I have a bagel with light/low fat margarine and a glass of water. For a Snack I have a bagel with light/low fat margarine and a glass of water. For Dinner I have a bagel with eight ounces of meat: for example: lean hamburger meat, sliced deli meat, etc. For a treat once a week I have one meal with lots of calories: chicken fingers and fries or pizza or an ice cream sundae, or a piece of cake. You can have a treat every two weeks if you want to and you will lose weight faster. If you want to lose weight even faster, diet for the entire month and take one day at the end of the month and eat all the calories you want to. I did not exercise when I did this diet. I completed this diet when I was 18 years old and I lost 110 pounds and 10 inches off my waist in a year and two months. On the second version of The 4 Bagel Plan I have a bagel with light/low fat margarine and a glass of water and a glass of orange juice and a multivitamin. For lunch I have a bagel with light/low fat margarine and a glass of water. For a Snack I have a bagel with light/low fat margarine and a glass of water. For Dinner I have a bagel with eight ounces of meat. For a treat once a month I have one meal with lots of calories, for example chicken fingers and fries. I exercise 1 hour and 30 minutes on the treadmill whenever possible. I swim in the pool whenever possible although swimming in the pool is not required. I have lost 62 pounds and 11 inches off my waist so far and this is a work in progress. I am a human being like everything one else so I do not see why this diet would not work for others.
MJ: One of my favorite things about the show this season was the way that you would walk out of the boardroom. On the first one you were at, you had a great smirk on your face as the elevator doors closed. On this last episode, you strutted out to the cab like nobody else has before. What makes you such a confident person?
BB: See answer to question one.
MJ: What’s next for you?
BB: I am working on promoting The 4 Bagel Plan. I may pursue my acting career. I may open up my own law firm. I may do a combination of all three things. I am keeping all my options up at the moment. The sky is the limit!
